Un-Cat — Episode 30. Year of the Fish

 

USGS Geologic History Map, more info here.

Anytime U.G. the Cat-person traveled anywhere near a beach the smell of the salt air of the ocean brought good memories of her best friend Lee the Dog. He would run on two feet, but he could gallop on all fours. Just like any water loving dog, he would run into the waves every time they found any beach and then run right back up to her and shake out his long blue-grey fur.

Just like any cat, U.G. didn’t like this salt spray and sand mess. She could swim. She liked to fish. But, she would wear fishing waders, and a wind-breaker, especially on a cool day on the beach on the Oregon Coast.

It wasn’t until after U.G.’s telepathic AI-Critter was tamed, their first trip to the beach in 1979, that she understood why the Dog-person from a planet far, far away loved Earth’s oceans so much, — they had nothing like them on the Dog-planet.

The Dog-planet didn’t even have any lakes the size of the Great Lakes of North America, over 80% of the water on the Dog-planet was underground.

Here on Earth, Lee’s mission was to find good food for the Dog-people and if there were sentient inhabitants on the deliciously smelly little blue planet, to make friends and share recipes.

On the planet of the Dog’s, the culinary arts is the highest form of art, and food is the basis for their entire economy. The Dog-people never even imagined pollution and ecosystem destructive industries like human people commit. Much less an entire planet full of people more related to waring primates, than canines.

It was this Dog-logic always searching for food that was running through Lee’s mind as he joyfully leapt in the waves, smelling therefore imagining all the tasty creatures in the sea.

From space in 1977, as his tiny egg shaped craft approached Earth, on the day side of the planet there were a few pale scars of cities, a couple pit mines, and scattered “bumps” on the surface as evidence of humans. On the dark side on a clear night, cities with millions of people glow like thin spider threads of light.

BUT, what caught the Dog people’s attention with their smell’O’scope technology was the surface 70% covered by salt water the same PH as a healthy womb. From the Dog people’s point of view, humans were barely visible from space, but phytoplankton blooms are massive.

Those tiny silicon diatoms a bright rank wave of photosynthesis; micro-algae teeming with plankton. There are so many of these microscopic glowing living-gem like creatures in the world’s seas, by mass tiny diatoms’ unicellular shells make up half of the organic material in the oceans and are the basis of the food chain feeding everything else alive on the planet. — THAT fact is what got their attention from billions of light years away.

In the 80s and 90s, Lee told her several times, “The key to shifting the global warming trend on Earth is this small smelly blue planet’s oceans. The people of Earth need to restore and expand salt water tidal marshes with seagrass, kelp forests, and mandrake forests.”

Since the industrial revolution in the 1800s salt marshes have been devastated because people didn’t understand their importance to the global ecosystem. The 1900s saw further abuse and filling in and paving over of both waterfront-property and the fertile mud of inland tidal marshes turned into farmland.

When Utah Robin Green became President of the United States in 2021. One of the first things she did was restore a small marsh, a pond for ducks in the White House lawn, but it was symbolic in contrast to what she asked all the governors of states with ocean shorelines or great lakes to do.

The United States needs to become a power player in the global Blue Carbon Initiative. Expect increasingly volatile weather. Prepare for storms, don’t be caught “surprised” by climate change. We are moving people to higher ground and building new environmentally sound structures. Not just plopping solar panels on roofs and caulking windows. After storms destroy a waterfront neighborhood we need to repair the wetlands and tidal marshes that buildings should never have been constructed on in the first place and build our homes on the rock of common sense.

No excuses for plastic garbage

idea simpled down to main points.

Design-out the production of all plastic garbage, no excuses.

#drawfool #doodle for Feb. 28, 2018.

Daydream number 22/50. End plastic packaging. Stop all plastic use-once-throw-away-trash by designing it out of production. 

Making sure zero plastic garbage gets distributed is the main way the world will have a fighting chance of cleaning up all the plastic trash currently floating around. Plastic should only be used for durable goods.

This daydream happens all the time. Like a constant OCD nag making my skin crawl. It’s bad enough to force me to repress or sublimate it, (i.e. Make art or something useful out of collected plastic garbage). Also, unlike daydream 21. bike-trails/walking paths, since the 80s it seems that plastic packaging is getting worse, not better. When I shop I can avoid some plastic packaging, but only a small percentage of the time. Bringing my own bags to stores, not buying beverages in plastic, keeping a clean stainless steel coffee mug in my car, using bar shampoo wrapped in paper, owning a set of camping dishes and cutlery for outings etc... these are all itsy bitsy steps, that do little to making them stop producing the evil triple-wrapped plastic-bottle, in a plastic-bag, sealed with plastic-shrink-wrap crap.

In my imagination, many of my daydreams are tangled together, like the inverse of a several ton blob of plastic a friend of a friend, who is serving in the Coast Guard, got in trouble for dragging to shore off hours, after their shift end. True story, the trash blob was so big a work crew with chainsaws had to cut the mostly plastic tangle up so it could be hauled off.

So, to untangle that mess. Take daydream number 4. Sease sending tons of junk-mail, flyers, catalogs, political mailers etc.. And number 3. Solve the digital divide. And number  6.(Reusable mailers for all shipping companies to eliminate cardboard boxes. All those tons of unused pulp and factories currently making boxes, printing the grocery store flyers and flashy cards with ads printed on them, could instead be up-cycled to produce food-grade plant-based waxed-paper-packages for everything. Wax-paper chip and snack bags, paper wrappers from butcher paper to fancy candy wrappers and all shape and sizes of cartons like milk cartons to replace plastic tubs that everything from applesauce to yogurt is currently sold in.

To really design plastic out of production, we need to do this for every product in all stores, not just food. Toys and dry things like electronics are easy to package in a box of course. Removing water from products like soap or shampoo. People could purchase a refill kit and have nice dispensers in their bathroom or kitchen that match their decor.

I’ll try to stop now, post is getting too long. Most of my how-to-save-the-world daydreams are contingent on one another. When talking with friends I recognize many, many people wish for a less polluted more ergonomic world. Millions of people are all thinking parts of the same sad, things-could-be-better thought. Some daydreams like about clean water and air for everyone, actual billions of people are all sharing the same wish in the same way we all share this little blue planet. They laugh or shake their heads agreeing, we are all doing what we can, but… Truth isn’t easy, for example, there are no excuses in life. You either made it out of the fire unscathed or you didn’t. One solution could generate twelve more problems because there isn’t one answer. Together, that’s the most uneasy truth. We have to save-the-world together, and it’s going to take a lot of work, maybe for a thousand years. No excuses.

#drawfool Feb. 29, 2018.

#drawfool #doodle for March 1, 2018.

23. Standardised refillables. For all types of products currently sold in throw-away plastic. 

The last paragraph above of how-to-save-the-world daydream 22. I mention that every solution creates 12 more problems. This 1:12/solution:problem ratio is I hope an exaggeration, tho more likely an average based on a range of problems that need solving. More complex problems result in iterations of solutions that fragment like a fractile. Like for example refrigeration and perishable goods. Less complicated problems are usually simply idiotic. Like plastic toys, babies or pets chew on. It’s idiotic because chew-toys for mammals should never have been made out of plastic. I will leave the correct/best materials for babies/pets chewing up to the responsible caretakers. The topic is standardized refillable packaging.

Every product line has its own design solution. We currently seal everything in plastic to protect the product from moisture, damage, and pests. 

For example chips, it doesn’t matter what kind, potato, corn, baked, fried, we seal them in plastic bags with a pocket of “air”. The dried air keeps the chips crisp and crunchy and the pocket of air in the bag helps to keep the chips from getting crushed to dust. The bag needs to be airtight in order to do both of these things. Waxed paper chip bags will work, but wax will crack and the paper will defuse, both moisture and air deflation can ruin the chips. Currently, these bags of chips are shipped to stores in cardboard boxes. Tho some shipping trucks, use plastic or wire racks, like the type American sandwich bread is shipped on to keep the bread loaves from getting smashed. So, the reusable standardized refillable would be a stackable shelf display sized airtight tub. The tubs get opened when people buy the product and the refillable container stays in the store to be returned to the chip factory. Bakery goods, cereal and all sorts of dry goods too fragile to be sold in bulk bins, could go from shipping to end user eliminating plastic bags via resealable tubs with lids.

Next example; pharmaceutical drugs, over the counter medications and vitamins. We have a series of problem-related to pharmaceuticals, contamination of water and addiction or misuse. Packaging from many pharmaceuticals can’t even be recycled because plastic can’t be cleaned of some drug residue and reuse may result in cross-contamination. 

Something needs to change, and safer distribution and packaging for less drug contaminated garbage is a good place to start. Doctor prescribed medications should be issued with a refillable container that belongs to that patient, especially if that drug is going to be taken for years. If this is done wrong it could be terrible for pharmacists. But, if it’s a smart system, with two appropriately designed containers, where the patient turns in the empty and picks up the refill there is the potential do good. Prescribed refillables could help make sure patients are taking their meds or not overtaking them. It could even make certain problem drugs harder to steal because inventories could be more precise. If a patient is being prescribed too many drugs or the medications are very time sensitive, certain medication conflict, etc… fractals. 

Over the counter medications and vitamins, refillables could be coded returnables, designed to return to factories, be sterilized and refilled. Smelly valerin, oils, bitter uncoated aspirin like meds. Most of these items are sold in somewhat standardized packaging now. But, not to the degree where they don’t get thrown from the recycling tub to the garbage because the container has the potential to contaminate the mixed recycling.

Stop dwelling in the negative, in this case how badly the attempt to recycle plastic is cost ineffective and failing. Asia to US shipping of plastic across the Pacific or other world oceans is a too well-known nightmare. 

Instead, let’s look anew at what renewable resources we have. Steel production is a giant US industry that needs to be stepped up to compete. Canada has surpassed the technology of US lumber processing, and in the US we can grow bamboo and other useful fiber plants, like hemp etc...

Colorful enameled steel stackable reusable containers with high-temperature silicone seals or lids. (Expensive yes, but after a number of uses, especially protecting any costly food item, they will pay for themselves. Steel “Tins” shipped on wood pallets. 

Glass is one of the most readily recyclable material and can be returned to the bottler to be sterilized and reused. Glass won’t leach chemicals into food as plastic can. Plastic has replaced glass because cheap processed food and drink is being shipped farther distances. Small local production of food and drink with bottle returns and more freshly prepared foods in small batches can increase quality and food safeness. (Search for wide-scale food distribution as it relates to the spread of diseases like E-coli or Mad-cow). For safe handling and local distribution, wood crates, for bottles and jars, both used over and over, many times. 

Packaging design and a shift away from distribution dependant on crude oil to renewable reusable and recyclable last of the three R’s has a giant potential to shift away from the plastic chemical garbage we invented in the 40s, to make that type of garbage extinct instead of life on our planet, i.e. save-the-world. 

Feels like I need some sort of twist or joke to end this post... but, I haven't got one. If you read this far and have a joke or a happy thought, that would be super. ☮+💚 everybody, sincerely, Uva "Be".

Hey, it's Friday! 😁 March 2, 2018. So, I'll continue down my list of 50 daydreams to-save-the world.

24. Water efficient redesign of all toilet and bathroom plumbing. Flush grey-water or better yet, don't poop and pee in water at all. 

the toilet I want :(

second choice grey water flush system.

Across the US this could conserve millions of gallons of fresh water daily. In urban buildings, 1-2 toilets to flush just a little sometimes and a bigger flush other times to prevent people from flushing low flush toilets three times. In private bathrooms in homes, the 1-2 low flush toilet plus a system to use washing water twice, bath/shower and washing machine water, filtered greywater for flushing toilets. In bathrooms with access to yard waste and non-food gardening compost space. Modern composting toilet systems instead of flush toilets. Tho, I don’t advocate composted human waste being used in gardens. Human waste compost needs to be wintered over at least a year and used on non-food plants or trees in the correct season when there's no fruit or nuts ripening. (Search for pharmaceutical contamination as relates to human effluent). Alternatively, a better plan is idea number 1. modern energy toilet systems, some currently in use around the world for toilets that use human waste to generate energy. Poop energy I joke about being the ‘cold-fusion’ energy source the world has been looking for. Today's daydream is about water, toilets and greywater systems, one part of daydream number 1., -- the entire building design, passive energy, renewable energy used locally and energy efficiency.

Snowball in hell, March 3, 2018. 

Do I really hate 45? -- Are there snowballs in hell? Maybe all this bad energy will just melt away.

Third confession attempt

I’ve seen several video clips of that man acting presidential. He parrots, flapping his hands, squawking on and on incessantly repeating parts of arguments he doesn’t seem to understand because he will often contradict himself. It’s like he absorbs catchphrases that he likes the sound of but the meaning of what people are trying to communicate is only a rapid fire of squeaks and clicks in his mind, like a bird.

As an American, the worst, most nauseating bits to watch are when the people who I can only assume are the ones actually doing all the work, (any work that happens to get done by this understaffed administration). When these people gather around and praise him, for what? This sublimation as if bowing before a ruler who has declared himself a demi-god and demanded each take a turn at praise or lose their heads? Seats? This horrid display is blasphemy, not against God with a capital ‘G’ but the principals this nation was founded on and holds dear.

This man who exemplifies everything that is most wrong with the United States -- racism, misogyny, the suffering of the masses caused by the greed of the oligarchy, eating fast food, over watching TV and refusing to read anything longer than a tweet that doesn’t have his name in it. This man is in the White House.

I was raised to never hate anyone. Hate was a worse word in our house than the f-bomb. To persist in anger takes too much energy away from your own life. Forgive and forget, do no go to bed angry. Hatred is worse, to hate is to wish murder upon someone. The act of hatred steals the life energy of the person doing the hating or in this case the many people in our nation ranting hatred in waves of social media vitriol. I confess to give in to, laugh at and sometimes even retweet some of these heinous memes.

As a Nation we are suffering. We are embarrassed and fearful he will insult other world leaders into attacking us. Sometimes we might even project slight hopes on the people around him in those videos. But, any glimmers of optimism are dashed against their stone cold poker faces and folded arms. He is blatantly seeking approval and those in the room don't want to show any hint of emotion because he might see it, and latch onto them. They who should hold power are fearful that he will go-off on whatever made them grimace trying not to laugh or frown because they are weary of his narcissism. The current administration swear to each other, if you are fired we all are fired, because they are afraid 45’s idiocracy will mortally damage the country without them. Worse, sometimes the administration has actively hated directly, calling him a fucking moron etc... and are therefore are disloyal to him personally, as if this was the point of being POTUS. ”Because when it comes down to it, I’m all that matters… just me. I’m the leader of the free world. Can you believe it?”

Meanwhile, this fool that I am, blogging to myself and a handful of folks who are keeping an eye on me. I confess to my ears are pricked, listening for any whisper of impeachment. Bring on the trail with an orange jumpsuit. Lock him up, but do not dress him in a white straightjacket under private house arrest. Lock him up in solitary, for his own protection, to whine sadly to himself suffering many days of loneliness until he goes mad and dies alone pondering just what he did wrong.

The truth is, there hasn't been a trial yet, so I will presume him innocent, try my best to forget and wish I could post this, laugh and just magically feel better -- then go make art and write fiction. Philip K. Dick, he had the FBI’s ear, I understand he was friendly with a few of them. Me? I add my words to the collective social digital consciousness and then search for the next topic to catch my attention.

recurring daydream 1 and 2 of 50 ways to 'save the world'

Doodle for January 16, 2018.

Recurring daydream -- Yep, this is a biofuel system, like LooWatt only with additional passive and renewable energy modules working together. Seems like a fair joke to admit that this could be the 'cold fusion' humanity has been searching for, for decades now, but, it's been coming out of our asses the entire time.

Recurring daydream as in a lot, here's a paragraph copy and pasted from a list of 50 ways to 'save the world' that got written into my November 2017 NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

1. Green housing & building , experimental engineering and design neighborhoods in every state & climate region in the US - working with colleges, community colleges & trade schools, to build & test prototypes, promote fair competition of best designs, keep zoning laws and building codes up to speed on the safest most efficient local designs, train and certify trades people in how to best install and construct everything ( smart micro-grids, energy storage, gray water systems, passive solar window boxes etc..) and get the best ideas into the market and to the people most efficiently.

So there's the idea, and here's why it isn't happening... Well besides the obvious reason. Money. I.e. passive energy doesn't make big energy money. 

If I had a shit ton of money, I'd have a company that designed systems for small houses. I looked for our house, multiple times for more than one place we lived over the years. So far, I've only found estate sized systems on the market and even those were in parts. The solar tubes sold separately from the tank system etc... 

A passive energy revolution would create a lot of jobs. It's also so expensive to design and maintain custom systems, very few are able to do it. 

The garbage industry plus septic engineering job isn't something many people want to spend their lives "processing". Picking up tanks of effluent and bins of byproducts, checking filters and catalytic converters, not glorious work unless you have an 'unsung hero' complex. 

Also, gas lines, tanks, and energy generating systems require space that is separate from living space, both to maintain air quality in the living spaces and for a contained blast wall for normal combustion chambers and accidents.

Onwards ☮ + 💚

P.s. I ended this on a low note because this is 'expulsion of the fool' - not a How-To blog. If you have a company making any part of this passive/renewable energy system for small homes, in the US, I'd love to hear from you. Even just a tweet at @Uva_Be would be super.

Doodle for January 17, 2018.

I can not even convince some of my most beloved friends to stop buying plastic bottles. This is either my third or fourth blog post on the topic of throwaway beverage containers and I confess to complete environmental duh-fatigue, so I'm just tacking BYOM onto the blog post from yesterday.

2. BYOM (Bring your own mug) water bottle or thermos.

Instead of a soda machine, a small commuter cafe would be nice. Or even a corner store with a hand washing sink or a small beverage container cleaning station and a rack of new beverage containers beside soda fountains, juice bars, coffee stations etc… Not only to stop the obvious pile of use once and throw away beverage containers but stop the fuel used to transport water.

Water is heavy at a pint per pound, for miles and miles, to then be stored in plastic bottles in large glass door refrigerators running 24/7.

How is our use-once throw-away plastic-culture not the very definition of social insanity?

Just google BYOM or plastic trash or plastic gyers in every ocean on planet earth!

Okay as for a solution to bad water. The most affordable house or small business sized water filters are those sold for commercial ice machines.

Also, there are some nice counter top models. I know, nothing worthwhile is cheap, and it takes a little effort on your part. To make your own damn cup of filtered water or tea/coffee. But, please people, for you and me and all the fishes in the sea. BYOM is a good place to start making a difference.

P.s. I feel really bad, guilty even for the increasing number of communities who have water poisoned by fracking or lead and other chemicals. I write this, in the hopes that good water filter systems and cup washing stations will be installed in all schools and neighborhood markets, especially those with contaminated water.

BYOM this is about plastic trash and if you have good water at home or work please appreciate it. Thanks

Jan. 20, 2018

We are the wall, today's #doodle (really more of a scribble :) #drawfool inspired by Jan. 20, 2018 Woman's march and Brick x Brick performance art/protest a human wall CA to VT to end misogyny. I wonder how many million were out there worldwide today? Sea to sea, Canada and UK as well.

The news feed got me down, but an image search, Twitter and YouTube show you can't hide the truth. Check out the reTweets from marches all over the world if you need some cheering up. https://twitter.com/Uva_Be  (P.s. there are a ton of photos there today, I don't know what will be in the tweet stream tomorrow, it's twitter. :D